Hand-operated addressing machine



Dec. 25, 192s. 1,696,760

E. A. 'GEIGER ET AL HAND OPERATED ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed Nov.r16., 1927 7 sheets-sheet 2 NVENTORS.- rwzn .66; er Ado/ph ez er ATTORNEY Dec. 25, 1928. 1,696,760

E. A. GEIGER ET AlT HAND OPERATED ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed Nov. 16, 1927 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEY Dec. 25, 1928.

E. A. GEIGER' ET ALV` HAND. OPERATED ADDRESSING MACINE '1 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed NQv. 16, 1927 *i 'N Q u www 'INVENTORS frwz n A.

A'ITCRNEY E.'A. GEIGER ET AL HAND OPERATED ADDRESSING 'MACHINE Filed Nov. 16, 1927 7 sheets-Sheet 5 Dec. 25, 1928. 1,696,760

E. A. GEIGER ET AL I H'AND OPERATED ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed Nov. 16, 1927 4v sheets-sheet 6 7 5- 5' if M- z5@ ATTORNEY Dec. 25, 1928.

E. A. GEIGER-E'r AL HAND vOPERATED ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed Nov. 16. 1927 'f --sheets-sheet 7 NVENTORS ff'rwz'n ezyer Ai ORNEY Puatented Dec. 25, 1.6928.n

EBWIN A. GEIGEE., oF WESTFIELD, AND ADOLPH' GEIGEB, OF'ELIzABETH, NEW JERSEY, AssIeNons, BY MEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, To ELLIOTT AnnREssINe MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION oF MASSACHUSETTS. A

a' IIAND-OTERATED AnnnEssINe MACHINE.

AApplication led November 16, 1927. lSerial No. 233,539.

This invention relates to addressing machines generally, .but is more specifically designed to produce a small, hand-operated mechanism employing stencils as the' principal form ofthe address bearing strip, such small mechanism, however, being capable of printing, skipping or repeating with each one of the series of addressingbearing strips and with the same facility as characterizes much larger power-driven mechanisms now on the market.- An important advantage -of the present invention also is that with the exertion of a reasonable amount of pressure by the hand of'the operator, a. very great pressure is produced on the inking pad when presssed against the stencil, so as to ensure vforcing an adequate amount of ink through every opening in the stencil. 'This pressure is uniform for any one adjustment of the apparatus. i

The best form of apparatus at present known to us embodying the invention is illustrated-in the accompanying 7 sheets of draw? ings in which:

Fig. 1 is .a front View of the machine with the handle and ink bearing platen raised.

"Fig 2 is a similar rear view.

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the handle.A

and inking platen down in printing position.

Fig. 4 is a section on a vertical plane taken von line 4-4 of Fig. 3, parts being broken away.

Fig. 5 is a similar view with `the parts shown inthe position assumed when the handle and inking mechanism are raised.

of the handle anda portion of the card feed apparatus, the portions in dot and dash lines indicating disengagement of the card feeding ing coactionbetween the inking pad-or platen,

andthe ink reservoir, by which latterthe ink supplied to the platen is renewed during eachcycle of operations of the machine, and

Fig. 9 is a detail side view of the inking platen and its supporting device on an enlarged scale.

7 is a detail section taken on line 7-7 Throughout the drawings characters'indicate like parts.

1 is the base of the machine, usuallymade,

like reference as shown in the form of a small table 1, with "rubber pads 1'a on thefeet of the table so that y the whole machine may be placed uponthe surface of a desk or of another table without marring the same. 2 is @the card magazine which is located at one end of the basel to j vertical pivot bea-ring, as shown at 75, `which latter is separable so that the card receptacle may be removed ijf desired. This' flexible set of lcard'guides consists of two parallel strips of steel, longitudinally grooved on theirinn'er edges, and having their rear ends supported on upwardly inclined bases 7 so that normally the free ends 5 of these card uides are'raised above the surface of the ta le 1, as shown in Fig. 5. When the inking mechanism is forced down upon these flexible card guides they are bent down upon the table as shown in Fig. 4. Guide pins 56 are carried bythe clip 55 (Fig. 5) on these card guides to cooperate with slots. in the table surface (not shown) .and thereby confine the' motion of the card guides to Vertical planes. The

guidel pins 56 may be removed when long Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail side elevation sheets of papeixare tobe printed, as will be hereinafter described. n

The cards 3 are fed from magazine Qito thef inking mechanism by means of a reciprocat-fv ing plate 6 (Figs. 3,. 4 and 5) whichslides back and forth in the rear ends ofthe card guides and has projecting portions 60, 60 at each forward corner adapted to abut against the rear edge of the bottom card. in the magazine. Q'and forceit out along the guidestoward the inking mechanism.

lThe mechanism for reciprocating the card feed plate 6 here shownis the following: 61 is a lug stamped upon the rear of plate 6 which is engaged by the adjustable screw 8 and nut 58, the former being set in the cross arm 7 (Figs. 2, 3 and 4) .which is carried by the slide 9 moving in guide 5 9 adhaving rack-teeth i short shaft 14 which passes through one /end of link and,l on its outer end, carries the smaller gear wheel orpinion 12 which rests on, and cooperates with, the fixed rack 13, sup-ported from the main frame of the apparatus. Accordingly, when link 15 is pulled tion.

to the left, looking at 4, the shaft 14 will be pulled in that direction and also rotated 'in a counter-clockwise direction and this mo; tion will be transmitted by gear 11 to the slide 9 andplate 6 for a card feeding operar 15 will be multiplied several times by the time it is thus transmitted to-slide 9 and plate 6:, l.

The'meaniszshown for actuating link 1 5 comprise the'feed lever 17, the lower end of which is pivoted to link 15 at 16, while its upper end 19 is notched to engage the\dog 20 pivoted at 21 to a swinging member 22, which, like lever 17 is pivoted to the main frame by shaft 18. This lever 22 is one of. two swinging members so marked and shown in Fig. 3, each of which has an upwardly curved extension 22*L at its free end (see Fig. 5). These curved ends together carry the inking mechanism. .When the pawl 20 is in the position shown in Fig. 5, it fits closely into `the notchin the end 19 of the card feeding lever so that the latter is positively reciprocated up and down hy' the corresponding movements of the swinging members 22, 22. f

If, however, the dog 20 is tilted up into the dot and dash line position shown in Figi 6, then the card feed lever 17 will not be effected by. any downward movement yof swinging member 22 and the card feed mechanism will be thereby disabled. .This tipping of'dog 20v is accomplished through the engagementzof its projection 208L by the repeat lever 23 which fwill be hereafter described. 27 is a finger projecting downwardly from the pivoted end of one of the members 22 and connected to ten-V sion spring 28, anchored-to the'main frame at 29. This spring normally. holds the parts in the position shownin Fig. 5.

The means for oscillating swinging members 22 andthereby operating the entire machine comprise the yoke 73, pivoted to members 22at 22b (Figs. 4 and 5), and carrying @the handle 25 at its free end. The'p-ivoted tion rollers 70, 70b mounted on the pivoted ends of yoke 73 have crank-like extensions 72, one of which carries friction' roller 71, and

the other a milar friction roller 71", which" coopera-te respectively withstationary fric pressure housings 68, 68". These pressure, housings are'pivoted on the common pivot shaft 18 and are adj ustableby means of screws Evidently,also,. any motion of linkl housings and engaging the table base 1. Each longer screw 68a is a tension screw, and each.

.68 passing through the' rear ends of the shorter one a pressure screw, and by these the housings 68, 68b may be accurately adjusted, and positively'held, in position.

The housing 68b also has, in; its inner face the camway 69 shown in detail in Fig-7, in which camway the roller 71", carried by one of the short arms 72 of the handle yoke, runs back and forth as the^ swinging members 22 rise and fall. The parts are so proportioned that when the swinging members 22 and the -handle 25 carried thereby rise under thev spindle 26 is maintained in the position shown in Fig. 5 by the spring 25n shown in Figs.r 1

.and 3, so that pawl 20 is left in, engagement with the forked end 1,9 of the card feed lever 17, but if the operatormovesspindle 26 by his thumb or finger againshthe resistance. of spring 25a, h e will thereby trip pawl 20 and disable the card ,feed mechanism. y

The preferred form of inking mechanism shown comprises the, following elements A30 is an inking pad having a .slightly curved face and is carried by the block 30support ed by pivot shaft 31 mounted in thev curved ends 22 of the vswinging members 22. A`

small gear wheel 32 is mounted on shaft 31 and-is locked to hub 31b on block 30* b clutch joint 32a, as shown in Fig. 1, so` tha rotation of gear 32 will also rotate` the inking pad 30. Idler gears 33 and 33 are'also mounted on curved extensions 22, the'forme-r by a short stud shaft, and the latterby a long shaft 33h, which extends across from one ,memberv22n to the other. 34 is another gear meshing with gear 33n and mounted on studV shaft 36 carried by 22 (see'Fig. 3) 'which stud shaft supports one -end of the cylindrical-ink fountain 35, the other end of which is journalled on the removable screw bearing 76. The gear 34 also meshes with thesector rack 37, carried by the frame 38,v the lower end of which framis supported on pivot shaft-18, while its angular position' is iixed by pin 38 passing through a hole in an 4upwardly projecting -lug from frame 38, as shownin Figs.y 2 and 5. f' This gearing is so apportioned and adjusted that when the swinging members 22, and` parts ca'rriedthereby, are raised into the position shown in Fig. 5, the ink pad 30 will be` in the position there shown, and, ajs the swinging inking mechanism is forced downward by means of the handle 25 into the posi,A

sector rack 37 will rotate the ink fountain 35 in a counter-clockwise direction (looking at Figs. 4 and' 5) and rotate inking pad 30 in-a -clockwise direction through three-,fourths of a revolution, with the result that it will roll.

, over the face of the ink fountain, acquire a fresh coating of in'k, and then come down on the stencil beneathit with its final downward motion. On the under sides of the outer ends of swin ing members 22 are rubber pads, one

` of whic is shown at7 7 in Fig, 7.' These rest vent 5() which is left open -duringthe filling operation. The ink fountain is journalled `in the swin ring fr ame 44, pivoted on the shaft 33b (see ig. 7), and said frame or hous'ilng is made adjustable toward and from the ink pad 30 by means of the adjusting .screw 45 which threads through a transverse hole in the cross bar64, which cross bar engages the forked free end 'of the housing 44, the lower end of `said screw being` swivelled in the cross bar which. is journalled in the lugs 664 projecting from the pivot shaft 22b of the handle yoke 73. f A spiralspring 67 surrounds shaft 65 and is anchored at one end to the pin 66 projectin fromthe housing 44,. and at the other end 1s fa'stened to said shaft 65 'so as to normally hold the parts in the position shown in Fig. 7. When screw 45l is backed off so that cross bar 64 is loosened, it may be swung down so that 'cross bar 64 will no longer engage the forked-end of housing 44. The plate 44" 'normallygserves to maintain hesezparts in the operat'iiXe-posi'tion shownin To enable, the operator to skip: one or more cards the following skip is pro,

i vided. 39 is a lever pivotedftoyokel?) at 40.

It` has an upwardly projecting `thumbpiece 39L by which it may be manipulated. Nori mally it .is held in the position shown in Fig.

4 by means of the curved spring 42 fast on housing 73, and with its curved portion, engaging p1n\43,.projecting from one side of lever 39. While in this position, lever 39 has Vno function whatever, but if thumb iece 39 y is pressed downas indicated in. Fig. 7, so

as to swing thelower en d of lever 39 inline with the hub 31 of the ink pad block 30, the

`concave end 41 of lever 39 will-engage said hub as the handle yoke-,7 3 swings'down beforemechanism carried thereby have comejdown far enough to cause' ink pad3() to press-upon the stencil card or padsv77 to press card` guides 4, against table, the parts being then locked in the positionl shown in Fig. 7. As a result no printing is affected, and when the handle 25 is swung up again into the position shown in Fig. 5, thev stencil cardat the end of the guides 4 is forced out into thecard receptacle, 2 and another cardy advanced to printing position. Asmany cards can be kipped as is desired by repeating this opera- The mechanism so far described suiiices for printing envelopes and short sheets of paper. After each cycle f operations of the Lmachine astencil card appears at the free end of the card guides 5 exposed4 so that the operator can read it. If he desires to print an envelope from it, he'places the envelope under'the freev ends of the card guidesand swings the handle 25 downwanthwith the result that the inking pad 30 is then forceddown upon the card and envelope with great pressure, the friction rollers 71, 71b passing under the pressure rollers '70 and 7 0b as the han le 25 reaches its most extended position in a orizontal direction with the result that the yoke 73 and its upwardly projecting lug 72,r carrying said friction rollers, form a powerful cam lever, j,

through thea downward pressure on handle 25 produces a very great pressure of the ink pad on the -7 stencil card. 5 (Fig. 5) represents one of. aY pair of rubber pads which yield slightly to form anelastic support'for the envelope and the free ends 5 of the card guides 4 during the printing operation. When vthe handle 25 is released, the spring28 lifts lthe mechanism into the position show-n in Figs. 1, 3 and 5, the feed plate 6 is pulled forward 4to shove out another card from the magazine 2, which card pushes the one in front of it into printing If it is desired tolprint upon long sheets of l paper,'the guide pins 56 and supporting clipv 55 are removed, and sliding .plates 52 are pulled out laterally from table l, leaving an opening 51,' inthe surface of the table, bc-

andi slid down through this slot over said chute member, leaving their rear ends vin printing position. l l

If is is desired to print from a roll of paper, such roll can be'mounted upon the shaft 54 at- 'the rear of the machine, (see Figs. 3 and 5) and the paper threaded up through space 51 'and out into printing position. the swinging members 22 and the inking 5 Both magazine 2 and card receptacle 2.can be made adjustable to accommodate cards of different sizes as to width. Such'an adjust; ment is indicated in' Fig. 3 where an extra set operation of which a slight positiomthe used card having been discharged neath which extends. the-chute membe1953.'

Long sheets onpaper` can then be slipped in ofholes 'Z8-are shown which may be used vfor shown in, Fig. 9, this cut away portion will enable it to clear the edge of pad 30, which may then be slidout `laterally from its seat f in the block 30%,to which block it is ormally held by being seated in the groove 30d.

81 is a laterally adjustablestop guide for the envelope or sheet being printed, it being y laterally adjustable by means of the slot and thumb screw shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

'The guide pins5`6, being adjustablelongitudinally of 'the flexible card guides 4 by means of the sliding clip on which they are carried, serve as longitudinally. adjustable guide stops for the envelope or other small article being printed. When the guide pins 56 are removed to permit the long sheets or roll ci paper to be printed, the laterally adjustable guide 81 still functions.

Y Various changes could be made in the details of construction here illustrated without departing from the underlying principles of v the. invention. Thus, while stencil cards are shown as an element of the printing mechai nism, cooperating with the inking device to print the envelopes or paper sheets on which `the machine operates, other forms of address bearing strips could obviously be substituted for such stencil cards. Also some of the sub- 'combinations of mechanism shown could be omitted without interfering withV the opera- Y tiveness` and usefulness of the remaining e 1. Inhan'd operated printing apparatus emmechanism.

Evidently-thepressure which the lever cam system, operated by the handle, exerts upon the i'nking pad when it rests upon -the stencil may be varied somewhat according to the extent to which the friction rollers 71 and- 71b roll under the stationary friction rollers70, mounted on the pivoted pressure housings 68, 68", and also upon the vertical adjustment ofa these stationary rollers 70, 7 O", and,a

that consequently this pressure function may be modified by adjusting, the position of the, pressure housings throughvmanipulation of the screws 68, as previously explained. When the housing has been given any one adjustment, the` pressure of the inking .pad upon the .stencil will thenbeconstant for that adjustment for every operation' in 'which the handle is forced as far down as is possible with that particular adjustment.

Having described our invention, we claim:

ploying stencils, the combination, with a main frame, a .series of said stencils and means for feeding them consecutively into printing position on said main frame, of an ink bearing pad, a lever systeml for pressing said ,pad

Adown upon an stencil in printing position on said main rame, a handle for operating 'said lever system, and means whereby a uniform pressure exerted on said handle may be i progressively increased upon said pad as said handle approaches its final position. j

2. An, apparatus such as defined in claim 1 in which said lever system comprises a swingpressure exerting ing member'pivoted at one end to said main frame, and extending ina generally horizontal direction, inwhich member said inking pad is mounted and to a free end of which said handle is pivoted and' heldnormally vin an upright position; whereby the distanceof vsaidhandle from the pivot of said swinging 4member is progressively increased asl the handle is pulled downward bythe operator.

' 3. An apparatus such as deined in claim l in which said lever system comprises a swinging member pivoted at one end to said main frame and in which member said inking pad I is mounted, a handle pivoted to the `free end of said mounted on said main frame, and a cam connection between said handle and said pressure memberwhich is adapted to be brought into action as the handle approaches its lowermost position.

4. An apparatus such as defined in claim 1 in which said lever system comprises a swinging member-pivoted at one end to said main frame "and in which mer'nbei` said ink-` ing pad is mounted, a handle pivoted to the free end of said member, aa pressure member. adjustably mounted on said main Iframe, and a cam connection between said handle and said pressure member which is adapted to be brought into action as the handle approaches its lowermost position. I

5. An apparatus such as defnedin claim 1 in` which said lever system comprises a swinging member pivoted at one end to said Y member, aJ pressure membei` rigidly mounted on said pressure member and a co-' operating lanti-friction roller carried by. a f

lug projecting otal point.

6. In a hand operated printing apparatus, the combination, with a mainframe adapted to 'serve as a pressure platen, of a swinging member pivoted to .saidmain frame and exfrom said handle at itspivtending in a generally horizontal direction from its pivot, an ink bearin pad mounted on said swinging member, a to a free end of said swinging member, and

means for automatically raising said handle" to an approximately vertical-position when said pad is lifted from Said main frame and for shifting it toanappioXima-t'ely horizontal position at`or about the time said pad is lowered into printing position.

7 A combination such as defined -in claim 6 in which saidliandle shifting means comprises a member rigidly mounted on `said main frame provided with a campgroove, and a projection from said handle engaging said cam groove.

C A8. An apparatussuch as definedin claim 6 combined with spring mechanism normally grasping it,l for checking any downward movement of said ink bearing device just before it comes into printing relation with the platen portion of said main frame.

` '10. A combination such as. defined in claim 9 'in which said checking means comprises a mechanism by which the position of said handle relative to said swinging member is positively varied as said inking device approaches said platen, and an adjustable lock- K ing clement mounted on said handle and adapted, when in locking position, to engage said swing member and -prevent further movement of said handle relatively to said member. v

11. In a hand operated addressing machine the combination of a main frame adapted to serve as a stationary platen, a swinging member pivoted to said main frame,

. an ink carrying pad mounted4 on said member-and means for oscillating said member ltoward and from said frame, a series of address 4bearing strips, and guides therefor extending under said pad, a reciprocating member adapted to feed said strips along (said 'guides an oscillating member pivoted intermediate of its ends to said main frame and having a connection from one of its ends to said reciprocating member and provided at itslother end with a detachable connection 'to said first mentioned swinging-member;l whereby said strip feeding mechanism maybe disabled at will, and repeated printings made from'any one address bearing strip then U liandle pivoted Car paper may be inserted under said "guides and 'in printing position by breaking 'said' detachable connection. Y '1 12. A combination such as defined in claim 11 in which said detachable connection comprises a dog pivoted on said swinging member engaging said oscillatin member and a manually opera-ted device or holding said dog temporarily out of engagement with said oscillating member.

13.\ In an addressing machine the combination of a platen, an ink bearing pad and means for causing one. of4 these elements` to i reciprocate toward and from the other, a .pair of flexible, elastic card uides each fixed at one end and having their ree ends projecting between the said pla-ten andy ink bearing padV at a point approximately midway between the two when they are separated to substantially the maximum extent, a series of stencil cards in said guides and means operated in synchronism vwit-h the moving apart of said rst mentioned elements to feed said cards along said guides toward said ele,

ments; whereby, upon inserting an article to be printed between said platen and guidesl through slots in, said platen, against which pins an edge of thearticle to be printed may rest to ensure its proper registry with the stencil card during the printing operation.

15. In an addressing machine 'thevcombinationl of a table-like base having a` lateral slot therein, a pair of flexible card guides fastened to said table at one end and having .their free ends extending across said slot andl normally free from said table,- and a verticall movable ink pad located over said free guide ends; whereby a long sheet of through said slot, a stencil card insertedin lsaid guides and said pad and card pressed down on said paper and table by flexing said guides. N y 16. An apparatussuch as defined in claim 15 combined uwith a support for a roll of paper which is to be threaded through said slot.

17. In a printing .mechanism the com bi-y nation, with atable-like base, 'of a, swinging member pivoted at one end to said base, a rotatable inking.- pad cylindrical ink `vfountain 'journalled in the free end 0f said member, gearing causing said pad and fountain to rotate in unison to producetemporary contact between their surfaces, a gear wheel fixed to one of said last mentioned elements, and a rack shaped n the arc of ,a circle the centerof which coincides-'with the axis of the pivot of said swinging member, which said rack is rigidly supported on said tablev like base, together with means for oscillating said swinging member toward and from said housing toward or from the axis 0f said ink /pad, 'whereby the pressure between the surfaces of said vpad and fountain may be adl j 19. A hand operated addressing machine eomprising, in' combination, a base, a' swinging member pivoted to sald base, an inking` y mechanlsm earned von said' swmglng member, means for intermittently feeding a series of stencil cards under said inking mechanism, a train of gearin- 'for transmitting motion to said card feeding mechanism from said swinging mechanism, ai hollow handle operi atively connected to said Swingin member, and means for'temporarily disal train of gearing comprising a spindle loosely mounted in said hollow handle and projecting slightly therefrom; whereby the voperators hand grasping said handle may also manipulate said spindle and thereby disable ing said or restore to act-ion saidcard feeding mechanism.

ERWTN Af GEIGER. v AnoLrn GEIGER. 

